Ho Chi Minh City is the biggest city in Vietnam, covering an area of
approximately 2,000 square kilometers with a current population of about 5.5 million.
The state-owned utility board, called the Water Supply Company (WSC), is responsible
for service provision in Ho Chi Minh City, which includes public taps and private
connections in households and enterprises. As of August 2003, the WSC controlled
321,537 private connections in Ho Chi Minh City (WSC, 2004). So far, private
companies are not allowed to do business in this sector.